E-TV On Ice: My First Hockey Game

So yesterday I finally went to my first ever hockey game. It's something I've wanted to do since high school and I got the chance when the paper asked me to go to the Kings' Black History Night since we were sponsoring it.

A little history. Growing up in L.A., of course I knew about Wayne Gretzky and I even had the LA Gear #99 shoes. Like most kids of my generation, I watched the Mighty Ducks movies and that was my exposure to the game. Everyone wanted to be Charlie Conway or the Bash Bros. Fullman and Porter. Russ with the knucklepuck and most guys either liked Connie or Julie the Cat.

I remember the night Wayne Gretzky passed Gordie Howe with his 802nd goal. I watched the Miracle at Staples when the Kings overcame a 3-0 deficit against Detroit in the 3rd to tie and win in OT. And I watched the Ducks Stanley Cup Finals run in 2003 (the last night I spent with my Dad, I listened to Game 3 on the radio on the way to the hospital and when they won in OT, it briefly brightened my night)

Prior to the game, I had interviewed Kings right winger Wayne Simmonds for a story and I was pretty psyched to see a Black hockey player on the team. So imagine my excitement as I walked into Staples Center and enjoyed the beautiful lights outside the arena.

It was tough keeping track of the line shifts because they happened so fast. I'm so used to bball subbing coming at dead balls but hockey subs come in live so you have to just watch the puck and keep track of the players eventually. It's fast as heck and that's why I couldn't tweet as much.

Before the game, they honored a former member of the Tuskegee Airmen, Claude Rogers. And Tichina Arnold from "Martin" sang the national anthem - who knew she could sing? Better yet, she did a phenomenal job. And dropping the puck was the legend himself - Willie O'Ree, the NHL's first black player.

I kept an eye on Simmonds mainly because I wanted to see if what I was told was true. He was physical and seemed like he was in the middle of every scrum when he was on the ice. But the Kings reminded me of the Lakers because they were explosive (over 40+ shots on goal). They turned a 2-0 deficit in the 3rd into a 2-2 game in the blink of an eye.

O'Ree - who is full of life and energy as anyone - came up to our box and I had to introduce myself to him. Knowing his story as well as I do, I just wanted to thank him for paving the way. He told me about the NHL's diversity program "Hockey Is For Everyone" as well as some of the racism he faced coming up. All he cared about was representing his teams to the best of his ability - a quote I heard so many Black baseball pioneers say back then. Living history.

When the Kings failed to score in OT, it went to a 10-round shootout (longest in team history). Tied at 1, I thought the roof would blow open when Simmonds came out. The crowd gave him a standing ovation and when he scored, everyone went nuts. The perfect ending for Black History Night right?

Wrong. The Kings goalie blew it on the next try and the team ended up losing 4-3 in the shootout. Go figure. But I was definitely psyched and ready for another game in the future. Who knows, maybe I'll follow the team more closely - they're young and could be talented for years. Even better, I love the experience of watching hockey live and for something I've wanted to see for years, it was worth it.

Why the NBA can't retire No. 23 (or any number)

Since last year when he was elected to the Hall of Fame there's been a debate on if the NBA should retire Michael Jordan's No. 23. I'm gonna keep this simple. NO!

LeBron James announced that he will switch his jersey to No. 6 next year because he thinks the jersey should be retired. Hey, why not? The best player to ever lace them up should get that honor right? NO!!!!

So let's get this straight. Players want to equate Michael Jordan with Jackie Robinson? They forgot why Jackie got his number retired in the first place. Let's school these guys who are no older than me.

Jackie Robinson integrated not just baseball in 1947. He was the first Black player to play in an organized professional sports league in the modern era (word to Moses Walker). He inspired Martin Luther King in the Civil Rights Movement. Two years after World War II would inspire a generation of Black leaders and Black voices to speak up, Jackie took the first post-war step in proving that we were equals.

Jackie wasn't the greatest second baseman ever. He did introduce some of that Negro Leagues flair when he stole bases but he was far from the greatest base stealer ever. What he did was play the game, play it hard and make a giant statement that yes, a Black man was not inferior to his White counterparts. He was an American pioneer.

He also stayed active after his career. He got involved in the Civil Rights Movement while also speaking out against racism in baseball. He supported Curt Flood as he attacked baseball's reserve clause and actually took the stand during the trial - something no current player did. His last public appearance at the 1972 World Series advocated for a Black manager.

So NO! Not in my sports world is Michael Jordan on par with Jackie Robinson or deserves his treatment. But like Detective Columbo, there's one more thing. Call this the Wayne Gretzky Corollary.

"But Mr. Virgo, Wayne Gretzky has his number retired. He's the greatest player in his sport like Michael Jordan is. He had the same impact that Jordan had around the same time. He changed the game with his skill and IQ" Blah Blah Blah

The difference between Gretzky and Jordan is simple. Gretzky is a national icon in Canada, a hockey prodigy who elevated a nation. He helped make hockey popular in the United States and did far more for the game off the court in being an ambassador.

Michael Jordan did a lot on the court and was perhaps the most influential pitchman in modern sports, especially for Black athletes in the last 25 years. On the court, he was the best. Off the court, he sold a lot of products but was invisible on social issues and did not use his platform to elevate anything except the dreams to make money and follow his lead.

Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell. All of them deserve their numbers to be retired for the same reasons as Michael Jordan. Great stats, impacted the game like no other and were champions.

But when you start retiring numbers league-wide based on achievements, you cheapen why it was done in the first place. Robinson's number was retired in 1997 because his impact was bigger than the game in terms of American history. Michael Jordan's impact was also bigger than the game but it was about making money, not social change.

There's a lot more I can say but this should wrap it up.

Jackie made history by fighting for the right to play as an equal. Michael made history by convincing America to not be scared of a Black man selling them products. Both important but one clearly more than the other. Let's not confuse on-court achievements with something bigger in the grander scheme of things.